Hiding in Plain Sight
by brookeyy14
Summary: Dr. Meredith Grey, the child prodigy surgeon at 27, wants a redo. She's always been an outcast since the beginning of her career and she wants that to change. She doesn't want to be alone anymore. And that is how the famous general surgeon in Boston became an intern where she grew up. Will Meredith get what she wants? Or will she alone in the dark? Pretty much follows Grey's.
1. Chapter 1

**Possible book idea?**

 **Hey peoples of the Greys Anatomy fan fiction! I've recently started reading greys fan fiction and fell in love with it. One day, I thought, what if there was a fanfic where Meredith Grey was redoing her intern year, but as an already established surgeon? This randomly came to me; I kind of combined ideas of Meredith intern year au and ones where she is a kickass surgeon. So here is the background to what could be a potential story. It would pretty much follow the Grey's timeline, minus a few changes of course. Leave me a review on what you think? Should I continue it or no? Is there already a story out there similar to this, that's hiding from me? Cause I would love to read it.**

 **Let me know what you think of this spontaneous idea!**

 **xoxo- a merder fan for life**

Dr. Meredith Elizabeth Grey, a general surgeon attending at age 27, is a child prodigy in the medical world. She graduated high school and college earlier than normal, and completed med school by the time she was 22. She started her internship at Mass Gen., where her mother Dr. Ellis Grey worked, and became the best intern in her class very fast. She passed her intern exams with flying colors a couple months earlier than others usually do, due to the fact that she all of her time spent in the OR and on-call working or studying. Meredith was always in the hospital working and when she wasn't, she was either watching other surgeries in the OR galleries or studying for upcoming surgeries. When she wasn't doing any of that, she was either at home getting sleep or with José Cuervo, her best friend that understood her. This friend just so happened to be tequila.

She rose up quickly in the medical world, and took her boards two years earlier than normal. She was well known throughout most of the East Coast, with patients coming to Mass Gen, requesting her to be their doctor. Meredith worked side by side with her mother and she became one of the only surgeons to perfect The Grey-method. She even planned on starting a fellowship in Neuro, to try to become a dual surgeon, so she could operate in her two favorite surgical areas.

Meredith had accomplished what would have taken others years to do. She was proud of herself and how hard she worked to be where she is today.

But her achievements didn't come without a price.

And Meredith wanted a do over. She was sick and tired of how she was being treated.

She wanted to be treated normal, not like some child prodigy surgeon that doctors only admired her for her work, or became friends with her to get in on her surgeries or trials. She didn't want to be glared at by the interns she made friends with, and who now wouldn't even talk to her from the moment she surpassed them all.

She wanted people to like her for her, not as the amazing surgeon she has become. She hated being alone, although she was left alone for most of her childhood. She wanted to have someone to talk to at work, to be an actual friend, not just some co-worker who only talked to her about surgeries.

Meredith wanted a change, a chance to start anew.

So while her mother traveled the world, Meredith left Boston, disappearing from the medical world. Only two people knew where she went, her mother and the Chief of Surgery at Mass Gen.

And so Meredith went to where her life began. She decided it would be the prefect place to start over. It was far away form Boston and very few people knew of her. The ones that did knew her as Dr. Grey, the surgeon who worked side by side with the famous Ellis Grey.

Meredith went to start over.

And what better way to start over then by becoming an intern once again, when she was practically the same age as all of them?

It would be the perfect way to hide in plain sight. No one would know, else she told them or something drastic occurred.

But how long would Meredith be able to keep her secret? From her "fellow interns" and her "superior" attendings?

Second chances don't common along very often. But Meredith Grey will take hers and make sure she fulfills it. All she wants is a do over, to have friends that aren't tequila or co-workers that hate her.

And by god, Meredith will make sure she doesn't screw this up.

"No one can know who I am, Richard."

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Do you ever know what it's like to only be liked only for your surgical skills? To be hated by the people you were once interns with because you started your internship so young and then went to finish it before they became 3rd year residents? Or to be liked by other doctors who only want to be friends with you to increase their surgical knowledge or just to scrub in on your surgeries? That was my life Richard. I don't want to live like that forever. I want people to like me for me. So yes, no one can know who I am. Otherwise, they'll hate me, give me special treatment, and most importantly, not want to be friends with me. So yes, this is what I want."

"I guess I can't change your mind then. Well, the intern mixer is tomorrow. I expect that I will see you there. Work starts the day after. But I want weekly updates on how you are doing. I don't want you to get behind on your skills, so if you aren't getting enough time in the OR or not cutting enough, let me know. I can arrange a surgery for you."

"Thank you. That means a lot from me. And you know how I am; give it a couple of days and I bet I'll be up here asking for a surgery. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you soon Meredith."

"Goodbye Chief, though tomorrow, I just might not be Meredith."

" _Well, let the games begin. Best of luck interns. You have no idea what's coming or what's in store for you this year. Let the games begin (again.)"_


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey my fellow grey's fans! Thanks for all the reviews! I'm definitely continuing this story. I'm glad to hear you all like it. And to those concerned readers, don't worry, chapters will be longer and it MERDER all the way. And Derek won't die, probably.** **I ship them and only them together. Everybody else though, could be up for fair game. It's up to you. Review if you have any ideas for me or just to tell me what you think. I have some things planned out already, but not everything. I'll try to update weekly if I can. Remember-I own don't own Grey's but I totally wish I did.**

 **And to Carla- this is most definitely a game a cat and mouse. And as to who the mice as, well, you'll just have to wait and see. And maybe decide that for your self.**

 **I hope you guys love this new update!**

 **Let the games begin and the play field be determined.**

 **xoxo- a merder fan for life**

It was a nice day in Seattle, one of those rare days when the sun was shining. It was almost like a sign, that this sunny day meant something good was going to happen.

At Seattle Grace Hospital, it was a normal day. Patients and minor traumas came in and out of the ER and surgeries were preformed throughout the day. The only different thing was that Seattle Grace was preparing for the incoming interns within the next few days.

While it was a normal day at the Hospital, one lone woman entered the hospital unseen and made her way to the Chief's office. No one paid her any attention. If they did, they would have noticed the bags under her eyes and how tired and worn out she looked. They may have also found it strange that this woman knew her way around the hospital, when she certainly didn't work there.

Nevertheless, the women continued walking with a certain purpose in mind. She was rather glad no one saw her, otherwise there would have been too many questions asked. And she would rather have this conversation, which was about to happen, go unnoticed. She knew how fast news traveled in this hospital. If one nurse got Intel on her and her plans at this hospital, everyone in the hospital would know with in the hour. And this woman certainly did not want any gossip already beginnings spread around about her.

The woman was nearing her destination. It was only when she was half way across the catwalk did she stop. She was nervous. She knew that what she was about to ask for was a lot, and may be something the Chief couldn't grant her. Although, the Chief certainly did owe her and she thought this would be the perfect opportunity for the Chief to make up for his past mistakes.

And so, like she never stopped, she continued her journey to the Chief office, with all her doubts and nervousness gone.

When she finally reached the Chief's secretary, she state, "I'm here for a meeting with Dr. Webber?"

The secretary look up at the woman, partly in surprise to seeing such a young woman here, but told her, "Ah yes, the Chief is expecting you. You can go right in."

The woman smiled at the secretary. "Thanks Patricia. Have a good day," the woman told the secretary.

She went to knock on the Chief's door, leaving the secretary, Patricia, shocked as to how this young lady knew her name, when the she was sure she had never seen this woman before.

The young lady took a deep breath before knocking on the door. After a few seconds, a "come in" was heard. And then the women pushed open the door, hoping this meeting would be successful.

"Doctor Webber," the woman says, while looking at the man behind the desk.

The man behind the desk looks up the young lady, almost looking shocked as to seeing her in front of him, although he knew that she was coming. "Doctor Grey. Please sit," the man says.

The two have a little stare off, with no one saying anything. After a few long minutes, the man speaks up. "I'm surprised to see you here. It's been a long time since you've been to Seattle Grace," he starts off.

The woman gives a small smile. "But I still remember my way around this place, as if it's engraved in my mind. I did spend a of of time within these hospital walls."

"You did. I almost didn't think you were ever going to comeback, until I got your phone call," the man says.

The woman cringes slightly. "I wasn't going too," she starts off. "But with everything going on in my life, a-a change might be in need."

The man sighs. "Why did come to Seattle Meredith? I know this is no house call and that you had a career in Boston. What's going on?"

"That's just it Richard. I had a career in Boston, but I had no life. Surgery was my life. I don't want to become cold and detached like my mother. I want to be as great of a surgeon as she was but I want to live my life too," the woman rants to the Chief. "I just want a redo, a chance to start over."

The man, Richard, thinks over what the woman, Meredith just said. "A change then. But how can I help you? Why come to Seattle then?" he questions.

"Seattle is where my life started," she begins. "I had a childhood here. I liked it here. It's a good place to start again. It's far away from the East Coast and Boston. Not many people know of me. I can start over as a new person, not a famous, young surgeon."

"I understand, but I still don't see how this involves me. I can easily give you a job as an attending, unless…" Richard off. He looks at Meredith carefully suddenly comes to a conclusion. "When you say start over, you mean completely starting over as an…"

"As an intern," Meredith finishes for him. "Yes that is what I mean. I know it sounds crazy but I just need a break. And you owe me. You owe this to me. It's not ideal, but this is my second chance."

Richard looks at her deeply before saying, "What does your mother have to say about this? What about the Neuro fellow you were considering on doing?"

"My mother thinks this is a bit drastic but she said she'll support me on this. If this is what I want, she told me, then she'll give me her blessing and help to do so. And as for the fellowship," Meredith began, "I was hoping I could do it here, though discreetly."

Richard looks at Meredith and sees that she is sincere. "I guess I can do this for you. You can start as an intern, but pay and other privileges will be different. You've gone through this once already," he tells Meredith.

Meredith smiles at him. "Thank you so much Chief," she says. "This means a lot to me. But I want an alias, a different name. I don't want the chance of anyone recognizing me. It can be in the contract if you want. No one can know unless I give the okay for others to know or if there is a dire situation. Only then, with my permission, could my real name and status be given."

The Chief, Richard, looks at her in shock. "Are you sure about this Meredith? This is a big thing to do, to take a different name so no one recognizes you, just to start over as an intern. Are you sure you could stick to it?"

"No one can know who I am, Richard."

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Do you ever know what it's like to only be liked only for your surgical skills? To be hated by the people you were once interns with because you started your internship so young and then went to finish it before they became 3rd year residents? Or to be liked by other doctors who only want to be friends with you to increase their surgical knowledge or just to scrub in on your surgeries? That was my life Richard. I don't want to live like that forever. I want people to like me for me. So yes, no one can know who I am. Otherwise, they'll hate me, give me special treatment, and most importantly, not want to be friends with me. So yes, this is what I want."

"I guess I can't change your mind then. Well, the intern mixer is tomorrow. I expect that I will see you there. Work starts the day after. But I want weekly updates on how you are doing. I don't want you to get behind on your skills, so if you aren't getting enough time in the OR or not cutting enough, let me know. I can arrange a surgery for you."

"Thank you. That means a lot from me. And you know how I am; give it a couple of days and I bet I'll be up here asking for a surgery. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you soon Meredith."

"Goodbye Chief, though tomorrow, I just might not be Meredith."

With that, Meredith walked out of the Chief's office with only one thought on her mind; "Well, let the games begin. Best of luck interns. You have no idea what's coming or what's in store for you this year. Let the games begin (again.)"

Little did she know, the man she was just talking too was having the same exact thoughts as her, wondering how this year would play out.

Meredith sits at a bar, ordering her shots of tequila. She figured that she needed it since tomorrow the big day, the beginning of her second intern year. Yeah, she decided, she really needed tequila to survive it. It was going to be hell.

Before she knows it, a handsome guy walks up to the bar, and asks **,** "Double scotch single malt please." She thought that e would ignore her but clearly she was wrong.

Instead, to her surprise, he turns to her and asks _, "_ So is this ah a good place to hang out?"

She was shocked that a guy like him was talking to her. He had blue eyes that sparkled and think, curly black hair that she wanted to run her hand through. But she was also quite annoyed; all se wanted to do was drown herself in tequila before tomorrow.

She responds with, "Uh..." the man smiles at her. "I wouldn't know. Never been here before."

"Oh you know what? I haven't either. First time here. I'm new in town. Never been to Seattle," he tells her, while sitting down next to her. "New job, so." He continues saying.

Meredith was half tempted to half at him or maybe even respond, but she sat there looking forward, drinking her tequila.

"Ha, you' re ignoring me."

Meredith briefly looks at him saying, "Um trying to."

The man smiles, a very dreamy smile at her. "You shouldn't ignore me," he tells her.

"Why not?" Meredith questions.

"Because I'm someone you need to know to get to love."

She turns to him, smiling. "Really?"

"Oh, yes."

"So if I know you, I'll love you."

"Oh, yes."

"You really like yourself, huh?"

"Just hiding my pain." They both laugh. "So what' s your story?"

Meredith shakes her head, smiling. "I don't have a story. I'm just a girl in a bar."

"I'm just a guy in a bar."

Despite just meeting this guy, Meredith thinks that maybe her wish will come true and that maybe Seattle wont be se bad after all. The guy sitting next to her was very sexy and dreamy. She could definitely live in the rainy city.

But boy was she going to be surprised the next day.

The next morning, Meredith wakes up on the couch. She notices a guy sleeping on the floor and realizes it was the guy from the bar last night. She gets up, realizing that she starts her new job today.

As the man begins to wake up, he says, "This is…uh…"

"… humiliating on so many levels. You have to go," Meredith demands.

"Why, why don't you just come back down here and we'll pick up where we left off."

"No seriously you have to go. I'm late which isn't what you want to be on your first day of work, so… "

The man starts getting dressed. "So, ah, you actually live here?"

"No."

"Oh."

"Yes. Kind of."

"Oh. It's nice. A little dusty. Odd. But it's nice. Huh. So how do you kinda live here?"

"I moved 2 weeks ago from Boston. It was my mother's house. I'm selling it. Maybe."

"Oh I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"You said was."

"Oh my mother's not dead." Nope, definitely not dead. Meredith just only performed surgery with her, you know, last week. Until she went traveling, to write and do surgeries. And sometimes yell at her. Nope, totally not dead.

"She's … you know what? We don't have to do the thing."

"Oh. We can do anything you want."

"No the thing. Exchange the details, pretend we care. Look I'm going to go upstairs and take a shower. Okay and when I get back down here, you won't be here. So … um … goodbye … uh …"

"Derek."

Crap, crap, crap! Meredith couldn't just tell him her name, incase she saw him again. And she was suppose to get around to thinking of one, just so no one really recognizes her. 'Yup,' Meredith thought. 'I'm screwed. Though I could use my middle name… it would go nicely with my last name…'

She mentally smiled. She solved her problem and could finally say something, though barely any time at all had passed.

She reaches out and they shake hands "Derek. Right, Elizabeth."

Derek grinned. "Elizabeth"

Meredith, or Elizabeth now, smiled. "Yeah. Mmm hmm."

"Nice meeting you."

"Bye Derek."

And with that, Meredith smiles and runs up the stairs to shower and to try to make it on time to work.

She wouldn't mind seeing Derek again, she concluded. He was nice and dreamy. Maybe they would meet again.

When she finishes showering and getting ready, she heads out the door, going to work knowing already that she'll be late. Although she doesn't car, since she was already once an intern, she did have to make it seem as if it's her first time as a real doctor.

And so Meredith rushed to work, hoping to catch the end of the tour, and begin her day of hell. But it was so worth it if Meredith could make the best out of it.

And maybe if she saw Derek again too.

Little did she know, Meredith would be seeing Derek sooner than she realized, and not necessarily in a good way for the start of her new life.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! I am so sorry for the late update! But its super long, it just took me a while to right, with following the episode. Not all chapters will be directly like the episode, some will be different. Also, I was pissed with how Greys ended last week and I didn't even watch this week's episode. IT'S SUPPOSE TO BE MERDER FOR LIFE SHONDA! Ugh. Let me know what you think of this chapter!**

 **And I don't own Grey's. If I did, Meredith wouldn't have given her phone number to an annoying military surgeon and Derek would be alive. MERDER should never die, even if Derek is dead.**

 **Xoxo – a merder fan for life, even if the show decides not to.**

Meredith ran into the hospital, already knowing she was late. Even though she had already done tis before, she did have to make it seem like she hadn't.

But, Meredith did make it in time to catch the end of the Chief's speech.

"Each of you comes here hopeful. Wanting in on the game. A month ago you were in med school being taught by doctors. Today, you are the doctors. The seven years you spend here as a surgical resident will be the best and worst of your life. You will be pushed to the breaking point. Look around you. Say hello to your competition. Eight of you will switch to an easier specialty. Five of you will crack under the pressure. Two of you will be asked to leave. This is your starting line. This is your arena. How well you play? That's up to you."

'I played it pretty damn well and in less than 7 years,' Meredith thought to her self. 'These kids have no idea what's coming. That sucks for-oh wait. I'm one of them now.'

while Meredith was having an internal debate, the Chief looked at her discreetly and winked, showing that he knew that she came in late. Meredith groaned; she had hoped to come in unseen and apparently that didn't happen.

'Like I should have said early; I'm screwed.'

Inside the locker room, Meredith finishes getting ready for her "first" day, ignoring all the other interns rushing around and leaving the room to meet their residents. The only thing on her mind is how crappy this locker room was compared to the one at Mass Gen. She sighed. She really was going to miss her nice and comfy attendings' lounge.

"Only six women out of twenty," Meredith says aloud. "though I suppose it's an improvement from three out of twenty," she mumbles under her breathe.

An intern walks up behind Meredith, somewhat shocking her, and says, "Yeah. I hear one of them's a model. Seriously, like that's going to help with the respect thing? And did you happen to say something else? I couldn't quite hear you."

Meredith sizes the intern up. She immediately recognizes her type. This woman probably thinks she's the best of the best, wont let anything stand in her way, and a hard-ass. Meredith also figures this girl is a cocky, a know-it-all, hating everything from people to gossip. Meredith wouldn't be surprised if this intern wants to specialize in Cardio; cardio attendings have the same complex as this intern

She thinks for a quick second and decides that maybe she and this girl could be friends. The intern seems as dark and twisty as herself.

Meredith decides to actually talk to the girl, to see if her suspicions are right. But what is her name? 'I thought I talked to her briefly at the mixer..' Meredith thinks so to herself, before she remembers a name.

"You're Cristina, right?"

The intern, whose name might be Cristina, doesn't even answer Meredith's question, only firing back with, "Which resident you assigned to? I got Bailey."

'Yup,' Meredith thought to herself. 'This girl is definitely trying to make out her completion. She gets straight to the point. And will probably be a complete surgery junkie. We could completely be friends.'

Meredith inwardly smiles at the thought, before saying, "Nazi? Me too."

A male intern joins their conversation (which Meredith noticed to be the same one staring trying to stare at her in the locker room), saying, "You got the Nazi? So did I. At least we'll be tortured together, right? I'm George … O'Malley. Uh…we met at the…ah mixer…you had a black dress with a slit at the sides, strappy sandals and….now you think I'm gay."

Meredith and Christina both look at him weirdly. Meredith's reminded of the guy at the mixer, who tried to hit on her. She was reminded of why she only stayed at the party for not very long; it was crappy and people tried to hit on her. Plus, she had done this once before already. Meredith only went to appease the Chief. Then she left and went to the bar across the street from the hospital. And the rest of the night was history.

She barely heard the intern, George speak, only hearing something about him not being gay (which Meredith totally doesn't believe), Cristina not believing him and walking away.

" _O'Malley, Yang, Harrington-Gray, Stevens"_ was the next thing Meredith heard, before she started walking down the hall to find her 'superior.'

Oops. _**Resident.**_

"That's the Nazi?" Cristina exclaimed.

Meredith takes a good look at her. She definitely did not picture the Nazi to look like she did, which was short. If Meredith had to guess, the Nazi didn't put up with any shit given by anyone, including attendings, was very influential, and a good surgeon as well. Probably in general, by the looks of it, Meredith decided.

Meredith smirked. These interns had no idea what they were getting into.

George spoke next. "I thought the Nazi would be a guy."

Meredith decided to have her input. After all, she needed to fit in. "I thought the Nazi would be...the Nazi."

A pretty, tall, blond intern walks up to the three of them. "Maybe it's professional jealousy. Maybe she's brilliant, and they call her Nazi because they're jealous. Maybe she's nice."

Well, that's definitely the model.

Cristina beat her to it though. "Let me guess. You're the model."

The girl gave Cristina a look before turning to the Nazi, and extending her hand, "Hi, I'm Isobel Stevens, but everyone calls me Izzie." Doctor bailey looked at her but didn't move or say anything.

'These interns were stupid,' Meredith decided. 'You can't suck up to your resident, they'll make your life hell. Its one of the dumbest things to do on your first day.'

Bailey started off with her speech, which Meredith couldn't wait for. "I have five rules. Memorize them. Rule number one, don't bother sucking up, I already hate you, that's not gonna change." Bailey points to stuff on the bench, stuff Meredith already recognized and knew about.

"Trauma protocol, phone lists, pagers. Nurses will page you, you answer every page at a run. A run, that's rule number two. Your first shift starts now and lasts forty-eight hours. You're interns, grunts, nobodies, bottom of the surgical food chain, you run labs, write orders, work every second night till you drop and don't complain!"

Meredith wanted to laugh out loud. She certainly wasn't on the bottom of the food chain, more like she was almost at the top. But for now, she was at the bottom, sadly.

Bailey opens a door, showing bun beds. On call rooms, where sleep never happened. "On call rooms. Attendings hog them, sleep when you can, where you can, which brings me to rule number three, if I'm sleeping, don't wake me, unless your patient is actually dying. Rule number four, the dying patient better not be dead when I get there, not only would you have killed someone, you would have also woke me for no good reason, we clear?"

Meredith decided that she liked the Nazi so far. She was going to be fair. But, she already made a mistake…so Meredith decided to call her out. She raised her hand.

"Yes?"

"You said five rules. That was only four."

A pager goes off. "Rule number five. When I move, you move."

With that, the interns (plus an attending in hiding) run down the hallway, following their resident as she screams, "Get out of my way!"

Yup. Meredith couldn't wait to get started. She could already see the playing field.

Meredith could barely remember getting to the helicopter. All she knew was the Izzie was on rectal exams (karma's a bitch), she almost screamed out what a shotgun was, which would have blown her cover, and she had her 'first patient' Katie Bryce. Who was a pain in the ass. She kept complaining that Meredith was lost and how she was missing her pageant.

And then she went and asked if Meredith was new. Which made Meredith so angry. She had to close her eyes and count to ten, to not burst out saying that she was in fact only new to the hospital but was a well-respected surgeon.

Yeah, that would not have gone over well. So Meredith stayed silent and only put in her occasional comment, so as to not ruin her plan.

"I twisted my ankle on taunt rehearsal. I do rhythmic gymnastics, which is like really cool. Nobody else does it. And I tripped over my ribbon and I didn't get stuck with somebody this clueless. And that was like … a nurse."

Boy was Katie annoying.

As she walked into lunch, she would hear Izzie and George complaining about their first day so far, while Cristina mentioned Ellis Grey.

"Did you hear about Ellis Grey's latest surgery, with the mysterious other Doctor Grey? They made medical history, it's amazing. Did you know she has a daughter?" Cristina rushed out. Meredith knew she needed to end this conversation

"Shut up, the Ellis Grey?" Izzie exclaimed.

"Uh-huh."

"Who's Ellis Grey?" George innocently asked. Oh George, you need to get caught up in the medical world.

Cristina and Izzie laugh, before answering George with basic facts about Ellis Grey.

"The Grey method? Where'd you go to med school, Mexico?"

"She was one of the first big chick surgeons, she practically invented the abdominal laparotomy."

"She's a living legend, she won the Harper Avery. Twice."

"So I didn't know one thing."

"Talk about parental pressure."

"I would kill to have Ellis Grey as a mother. I would kill to be Ellis Grey." Cristina says as Meredith decided to make herself known. (But Meredith knew that if Cristina knew the truth, she would never want Ellis as a mom.) "All I need is one good case."

"Katie Bryce is a pain in the ass. If I hadn't taken the Hippocratic oath, I'd Kevorkian her with my bare hands" Meredith decided to voice her opinions, to draw attention away from herself and her mother. Everyone stares at her.

'I thought this is what interns talked about. I'm pretty sure nothings changed,' Meredith thought, nervously. 'I can't screw this up.' So she finally decides to say, "What?"

Meredith notices that Burke shows up and immediately know it's for the intern surgery. As much as she wants a surgery, to cut, she doesn't want this. She would give herself away.

"Good afternoon interns. It's posted, but I thought I'd share the good news personally. As you know, the honour of performing the first surgery is reserved for the intern that shows the most promise. As I'm running the OR today, I get to make that choice." He claps George on the back. "George O'Malley. You'll scrub in for an appendectomy this afternoon. Congratulations."

"Me?"

"Enjoy." It was dead silent.

"Did he say me?"

As Meredith gets hounded with questions by Katie's parents, she knows that she knows the answers to them all. But it would be suspicious if an intern did so she decides to tell them, "She's, um, well, you know what, I'm not, I'm not the doctor, uh, I'm a doctor, but I'm not Katie's doctor, so I'll go get him for you."

Meredith goes to Bailey and before she can speak, Bailey asks, "What?"

"Katie's parents have questions. Do you talk to them or do I ask Burke?"

"No, Burke's off the case, Katie belongs to the new attending now, Dr. Shepherd, he's over there."

As Meredith looks and begins to walk where Bailey was pointing, she realizes it's Derek, her one night stand from the morning. But worse, he notices her and starts to walk to Meredith, before she can run away.

'damn,' Meredith thought. 'And I thought my time here would be normal. This definitely messes up my plan…but, technically I'm an attending, just not at this hospital so the relationship, if any were to exist, wouldn't go against any rules…'

But before she could think further, Derek pulls her into an empty stairwell.

"Doctor Shepherd"

"Dr. Shepherd? This morning it was Derek. Now it's Dr. Shepherd."

"Dr. Shepherd, we should pretend it never happened. "

"What never happened, you sleeping with last night? Or you throwing me out this morning? Because both are fond memories I'd like to hold onto."

Man, he was persistent.

"No. There will be no memories. I'm not the girl in the bar anymore, and you're not the guy. This can't exist. You get that, right?"

"You took advantage of me and now you want to forget about it."

"I did not take - "

"I was drunk, vulnerable and good-looking and you took advantage."

Meredith smiled. "Okay, I was the one who was drunk, and you are not that good-looking."

"Well, maybe not today. Last night, last night I was very good-looking. I had my red shirt on, my good-looking shirt, you took advantage."

"I did not take -"

"You want to take advantage again? Say Friday night?"

"No. You're an attending. And I'm your intern." _And there's something else familiar about you, about your name, Meredith wanted to say. It's not the first time I have heard it before…_ "Stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you've seen me naked."

Derek smirked and Meredith wanted to melt yet tell him to stop. He could be so goddamn annoying and cute at the same time.

"Dr. Shepherd. This is inappropriate. Has that ever occurred to you?"

And with that, Meredith left, but not without noticing Derek's sigh.

Meredith watched as George took out the appendix but didn't know what to do when complications occurred. It sucked, failing in your first time in the OR. She watched as he earned the nickname 007, realizing that interns were still ruthless.

Yet she knew how he would feel. It's how she felt, and still feels, from all the backstabbing and naming calling.

She realizes this as they sit in the tunnels, with George feeling all down. She tries to convince him otherwise, but doesn't have the heart to do so. Because you cant convince someone otherwise when you've heard it been said, or when you're the one that's been called the names.

And so when a page fore Katie Bryce comes Meredith runs, because she cant stand to be there any longer.

Even when it was a false page, when Katie only wanted to tell Meredith that she was bored. But it was better than the tunnels she decided.

Meredith takes the hits. When the guy, Alex, yells at the nurse asks as if the right diagnosis, as he attempts to flirt with her. But she says nothing, only a, "She may not have pneumonia, you know. She could be splinting, or have a PE."

"Like I said, I hate nurses."

Meredith thought of a lot of things she could say to this hotshot, but decided with, "What did you just say? Did you just call me a nurse?"

She barely heard his respond, but went to answer her page to Katie Bryce, only hearing Alex ask if she was single.

Meredith wanted to snort. She would never date an ass like him.

As she nears Katie's room, she sees nurses rushing around and starts to run.

A nurse asks, "What took you so long?"

Another one starts to ramble off information. "She's having multiple grand mal seizures, now how do you want to proceed? Dr. Grey? Are you listening to me? She's got Diazepam, 2mg Diazepam, I just gave her a second ago, Doctor, you need to tell us what you want to do. Dr. Harrington-Gray!"

Meredith takes a deep breathe. Of course her patient would crash on the one page she didn't run to answer. Meredith picks up the chart.

"Okay, she's full on Prazepam?"

"She's had 4mg. "

"Did you page Dr. Bailey and Dr. Shepherd?" As much as she didn't want to page them, she had too because she was an intern. It's what the protocol was for something like this.

"The Prazepam's not working."

"Phenobarbital, load her with Phenobarbital."

"Pheno's in."

"No change."

"You paged Dr. Shepherd?" It pained her to ask this. She knew she was capable, but no one else did, except the Chief. And this wasn't his patient, where she might be able to get away with not aging him and taking control of the situation.

"I just told you."

"Well page him again! Stat." 'God where is the attending when you need one. I was always on time, never late like Doctor Shepherd here…'

"What do you want to do? Dr. Harrington-Gray, you need to tell us what you want to do!"

Beeping fills the room.

"Heart's stopped!"

"Code blue, code blue! Code blue, code blue!" They pull out the defibrillators. Meredith takes them, her brain knowing what to do; its second nature, she's done this a million times before.

"Charge pulse of two hundred."

"Charged. Clear."

"Still defib. Nothing."

"Charging. 19 seconds."

"Charge to 300. "

"300. Anything? 27 seconds."

"Charge to 360. Come on, Katie."

"49 seconds."

"At 60 seconds you're supposed to admit her - "

"Charge again!" the nurse doesn't and Meredith gets mad; she knows what she's doing! "Charge again." The nurse does, finally. "Anything?"

"I see sinus rhythm."

"Blood pressure's coming up."

"All right now. Pressure's returning. Grid's coming back..."

Derek Shepherd then came running in. "What the hell happened?"

Meredith sighed internally. She knew this could get interesting. But she wasn't going to cower in front of him, like any intern would. So Meredith stood her ground. "She had a seizure, and - "

"A seizure?"

"Her heart stopped."

"You were supposed to be monitoring her."

"I checked on her and she - "

"I got it. Just - just - go. Someone give me her chart, please?"

As Meredith turns to walk away, she stopped. Even though she was an intern technically, she wasn't going to let Shepherd walk all over her. He was in the wrong and she knew it.

Just as she was walking by Derek, she stopped him and herself, while tapping Derek on the shoulder. She knew what she had to do.

So before she decided to run out or scream, she whispered to Dr. Shepherd, "Let me make this clear, _Dr. Shepherd._ You and I both know that I save Katie Bryce's life right there. You're just blaming me for you not being there on time. Attendings are supposed to show up when there paged and not run late, yet you did, only to have the intern show you up. It's a blow to your ego. We both know I did nothing wrong, that I actually saved her life, even if I showed up late. So Dr. Shepherd, I did my job and I did it right. I don't deserve to be sent out. But if makes you seen as the good guy, as the hotshot attending cause, then I'll leave. But not because I screwed up."

And with a shocked look on Derek's face, Meredith walked out of the room, not once looking back. She even ignored Bailey, as she tried to tell Meredith about answering a page right away.

But Meredith was on fire; she wasn't going to let anyone take her down.

A while later, Meredith sits in the conference room with Cristina, who is suturing a banana. Meredith recognized it as a coping technique to stay away. Before she knew it, Doctor Jackass came into the room, giving a long speech.

"Well good morning. I'm going to do something pretty rare for a surgeon; I'm going to ask interns for help. I've got this kid, Katie Bryce. Right now, she's a mystery. She doesn't respond to her meds. Labs are clean, scans are pure, but she's having seizures. Grand mal seizures with no visible cause. She's a ticking clock. She's going to die, if I don't make a diagnosis. Which is where you come in. I can't do it alone. I need your extra minds, extra eyes, I need you to play detective, I need you to find out why Katie is having seizures. I know you're tired, you're busy, you've got more work than you could possibly handle. I understand. So, I'm going to give you an incentive. Whoever finds the answer rides with me. Katie needs surgery. You get to do what no interns get to do. Scrub in to assist on an advanced procedure. Dr. Bailey's going to hand you Katie's chart. The clock is ticking fast, people. If we're going to save Katie's life, we have to do it soon."

'More like begging us to save his ass. He has no idea what is wrong with Katie,' Meredith thought. 'He's not looking to teach us, like her should. Jackass.' It was ironic; an all-knowing attending was asking the know-nothing interns for help.

And Meredith was going to make sure she was going to be the one to find the solution and scrub in. Plus, Meredith loved Neuro just as much as General.

Which is why she found herself in the library with Cristina, sitting on the floor, looking through books on end, trying to find a diagnosis for Katie Bryce. Along with Cristina asking her questions about what she had towards shepherd.

The only reply given was, "He's just a jackass, know-it-all attending." Any more information would give away her away.

Until Katie's pageant talent is brought up, which Meredith remembers something and before she could blink, she was pulling Cristina out the door to find Dr. Shepherd.

They found him just as he was getting on the elevator. "Oh, oh, Dr. Sheppard! Just one moment, um, uh, Katie competes in beauty pageants - " Cristina began.

"I know that, but we have to save her life anyway."

"Okay, she has no headaches, no neck pain, her CT's clean, there's no medical proof of an aneurysm - "

"Right."

"- But what if she has an aneurysm anyway?"

"There are no indicators. "

"Ah, but she twisted her ankle, a few weeks ago when she was practicing for the pageant - "

"Look, I appreciate you're trying to help, but - "

Meredith was getting tried of this, so she decided to interrupt. "She fell. When she twisted her ankle, she fell."

"It was no big deal, not even a bump on the head, you know she got right back up, iced her ankle and everything was fine, it was a fall so minor her doctor didn't even think to mention it when I was taking her history, but she did fall."

"Well, you know the chances that a minor fall could burst an aneurysm, one in a million! Literally."

The elevator doors close and they begin to walk away, with Meredith feeling down. She knew her diagnosis was right; she spent enough time in Neuro to know that. But then the elevator dings and Derek steps out. Meredith turns around, shocked. She didn't think that Derek would actually listen to them.

"Let's go."

"Where?"

"To find out if Katie's one in a million. Cut to Cristina, Meredith and Derek looking at a scan."

"I'll be damned. It's minor, but it's there. It's a - " But before Derek could finish, Meredith interrupted. She couldn't contain her excitement in knowing she was right.

" - A cerebachnoid hemorrhage. She's bleeding into her brain."

Both Derek and Cristina stare at her shocked and impressed that she knew that.

Oops. Oh well, too late to take it back. Plus, she was right.

It took Derek a few minutes to speak. "Yes. You are correct Dr. Harrington-Gray. She could've gone her entire life without it ever being a problem. One tap in the right spot - "

"And explode."

"Exactly. Now I have to fix it. You two did great work. Love to stay and kiss your asses, but I gotta tell Katie's parents she's having surgery. Katie Bryce's chart, please."

"Oh, and Dr. Shepherd, you said that you'd pick someone to scrub in if we helped."

"Oh, yes, right. Um, I'm sorry I can't take you both, it's going to be a full house. Elizabeth, I'll see you in OR."

As those words come out of Shepherd's mouth, Meredith gets excited. She's proud; she didn't think that on her first day shed be back in the OR again. She couldn't wait for the high.

"Good. Thank you," Derek says as he leaves.

But Cristina looks pissed tat she didn't get to scrub in. She nods to Meredith before turning to leave.

"Cristina..."

Meredith sighed. She hoped she didn't lose her friend.

Meredith sits outside with George, trying to comfort him and her. She tells him that they'll make it but she isn't so sure. Being an intern isn't easy.

Meredith feels proud when she outsmarts the Doctor, Alex, who tried to hit on her, when she names the causes of post-op fever.

She smirks when the Chief tells him to do as she just instructed. She winks at the Chief when he smiles and rolls his eyes at her.

And she begins to get the rush of the high again when she steps into the OR.

"All right everybody, it's a beautiful night to save lives, let's have some fun."

But when she hears those words, she realizes something. It took her one shift to realize it:

She knows this man. His famous opening lines he says every time he steps into the OR.

Because he's Dr. Derek Shepherd. MD, F.A.C.S. World-renowned Neuro Surgeon.

The same Dr. Shepherd she works on a case with before, back in Boston when she was a resident.

The same neurosurgeon she looks up to and wants to be like someday.

And Meredith is the attending-turned-intern who slept with him.

Who is in the same OR as him. Who she wants to do her Fellow with.

When she sees Cristina…

"We don't have to do that thing where I say something, and then you say something, and then somebody cries, and there's like a moment..."

Meredith let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She got her friend back.

"Yuck."

"Good. You should get some sleep. You look like crap."

"I look better than you."

"It's not possible," Cristina says as she leaves.

Meredith smiles and says to herself, "The high, I missed the high surgery gives me. At least I got through my second first day…" She laughs a bit; not realizing a certain Dr. Shepherd has heard some of what she said.

And when she turns to see him, she is shocked but tells Derek she'll see him around, leaving behind a very confused Derek.

'Second first day? Missing the high of surgery? But she's an intern…" Derek shakes his head. He realizes he must have miss heard her.

Yeah. That's it.

But Derek couldn't fully convince himself that.

Meanwhile, Meredith makes her way to the locker room to change, then head to the Chief's office. When she realizes he isn't there, she crashed on the couch, waiting for him to come.

The chief is shocked when he sees Mer-Elizabeth in his office.

"Dr. Harrington-Gray."

"Chief."

"I hope your first day went well and everything was to your standards."

"It was. I got to scrub in on a Neuro surgery today. I didn't think I would make it the whole day without doing so."

"That's good." The Chief then frowned. He knew Meredith wouldn't be in here unless she wanted or had something to say. "Elizabeth - " he began.

"We are alone Chief, call me Meredith."

"Meredith," he began again. "Why are you here?"

Meredith sighed. "Der-Dr. Shepherd. Where is he from? Where did he work before this?" She demanded.

The Chief raised an eyebrow, but nonetheless answered he questions. "He is from New York, he owned a private practice and worked at the hospital associated wit it as well. Why?"

"Because Richard, I think I've worked with him before, on a consult case in Boston."

The chief drew in a big breath. "Did he recognize you?"

"No, thank god though. It took me the whole day to realize that I've seen him before. But, I don't know how long before he realizes it for himself."

"That's good, at least."

"I have two requests."

"Go on."

"First, I need a surgery in two days, any general surgery would be fine. I have tomorrow off, but tomorrow night could work. But I don't want anyone in the OR. OR 2 should be fine, there is no gallery. And no scrub nurses in there either. Just you. No one can know. Ill do the surgery and then go to rounds afterwards. No one needs to see me in the OR."

Richard was confused. "No scrub nurses, are you sure Meredith? That won't be easy. But I can assure you no one will know. The surgery will be under my name."

"Yes I am sure. You can help me out. And good, I don't need any gossip going around. Just page me tomorrow when to come in and I will be there."

"I will look at my schedule and page you with the time and surgery. Ill watch the OR board to make sure no residents add their name to it."

Meredith smiled. "Thank you. As for my second request, I want to do my Neuro fellow under Dr. Shepherd. Not now, only if or when he discovers who I am. Then I will begin it. Until then, I want my intern hours with Neuro doubled."

Richard smiled. She sure was Ellis Grey's little girl. "That is a much easier request. It will be done."

"Thank you Chief. I look forward to scrubbing in with you tomorrow."

"As do I. It will be my pleasure to finally be able to work wit you"

Meredith smiled at the Chief.

With that, she walked out of the Chief's office feeling confident. She so couldn't wait for tomorrow.

 _She twirls the blade in her hand three times. It felt so good to be back in the OR, back in control. She missed it._


	4. Chapter 4

_The Midnight Surgery Featuring Dr. Grey?_

 **Hey guys….I'm so sorry for the late update! I was going to update the first weekend of April, but I left my papers at home when I went on my college tour. Then I went to the Bruins game the next week, and then I was sadly forced to watch the last 4 episodes of Grey's. Which I hate right now, just a little fun fact. But here's my longest update yet, along with sneak peaks for upcoming chapters, to make up for it! This chapter is interesting to say the least; it doesn't quite follow the Grey's episode. I hope you enjoy it! I had fun writing it.**

 **But boy do I have some plot twisting and exciting chapters coming up. Some are hinted at in my sneak peaks…if you have an idea of what might happen, let me know! I'll let you know.**

 **Also, I'm looking for a story that I read a little bit ago. I believe it was post end of season 2, where Meredith left Seattle and joined an international residency program (imfs maybe?) She had a kid in Japan and before every surgery and they also did this dance from before surgery in the OR, which came from a festival thingy in Brazil. She came back to Seattle to finish off her residency, when she wanted too, and the Chief of the program is like her father. The story was funny and well written, with a MERDER end. If anyone knows what the story is called, please let me know!**

 **And now, for our future presentation…. A NEW CHAPTER! Enjoy!**

 **Xoxo- a merder fan for life (because Grey's sucks right now)**

Meredith was finally home and in her bed, sleeping. It felt good to relax, even if she missed thrill of being in the hospital. She was dozing in and out of sleep when Meredith heard her pager go off.

Ugh. Sometimes, that was one thing Meredith hated about being a surgeon, the constant and annoying beeping of her pager.

Though, what she read was totally worth being woken up for.

 _Hepatic Adenoma OR 2 at 12am – Chief_

A benign liver tumor. It had been a while since she'd done a surgery like this. They were pretty cool and Meredith definitely couldn't wait to scrub in.

But she had to chuckle at the Chief's humor; a midnight surgery, it couldn't get more inconspicuous than that. At least the OR and surgical halls would be almost empty; she could perform her surgery unseen and be ready for rounds by 430-5.

Meredith wasn't wearing the light blue scrubs for sure. She couldn't wait to see the look on the Chief's face when she told him that she was wearing the dark blue ones and nothing else.

After all, she was an attending. She couldn't wait to put her scrub cap on and not those crappy light blue ones. Meredith sure did miss her favorite scrub cap when she was scrubbing in for the Katie Bryce surgery.

With happy thoughts of surgery, Meredith finally drifted back to sleep. She couldn't wait to be back in the playing field after all. It had been far to long.

* * *

As much as Meredith wanted to dress to impress, it was 11 and no one would (hopefully) see her. Plus, she new she should try to stay under the radar, to be seen by few people.

Meredith did have what she would call a successful day at home. It consisted of sleeping, unpacking, eating, and watching surgeries. Repeatedly. Until, 10 pm when she got ready for her own surgery.

Yup. A day of success.

As she walked into Seattle Grace, the first thing she noticed was the silence; it was quiet. Then again, it was midnight but still, it was almost too quiet. Which, in the surgical world, is a bad thing.

But Meredith shook those thoughts away. She had a surgery to complete and then round to attend too.

The life of an intern and attending.

She made her way to the Chief's office, where Richard told Meredith to meet him.

Meredith reached his office and walked in.

"Chief."

"Meredith. I see you're early."

Meredith gave him a sly smile. Richard immediately knew she was up to something. He sighed. "What is it? What do you want?"

"What makes you think, Richard, that I want anything?" Meredith asked, feigning innocence.

The Chief gave Meredith a look. She sighed. "Fine. You got me. I want scrubs."

The Chief looked confused. "You already have scrubs."

"I know," Meredith started off. "But I want the dark blue ones. The attendings' scrubs. I don't want to wear my intern ones to surgery."

Richard opened his mouth to respond but Meredith cut him off right away.

"After all, Chief, _I am an attending_. It only makes since that I wear the scrubs that mark me as an attending as well. And, I don't want to stand out to others. Who knows what gossip could spread around here. An intern or resident scrubbing in with the Chief at midnight? I'm sorry but I wont allow for that to happen. No way."

The Chief thought hard and long, before giving in. "Fine Meredith. You can have the dark blue ones. Just make sure Bailey or no other interns catch you with them on."

Meredith smiled. "Thank you Chief."

"Come on Meredith, let's go get those scrubs. I can't wait to see you in action."

So they left as on excited surgeon and a proud Chief, to go get scrubs.

Normal. That's how Meredith felt as she put on the dark blue scrubs. She felt like her 'normal' self, the kickass general surgeon once again. It was weird feeling like this again, after being an intern for a day, but it felt right.

She grabbed her favorite scrub cap from her bag and set off to OR 2.

The first thing Meredith did was put in her scrub cap. It was lavender and was definitely her lucky cap. It felt weird when she didn't wear it for surgery, especially when she scrubbed in yesterday on Katie's surgery. Meredith felt different.

As Meredith finished scrubbing in, she entered the OR, only to see that the Chief was already there with the patient. And a scrub nurse that she specifically did not ask for.

"Richard," Meredith began.

"Meredith. I know you said no scrub nurses but you need help in the OR. Someone to monitor the patient's stats and to hand you the correct instruments. I wont always be here to do it. You need one scrub nurse that you can trust," Richard told her. "Plus, I think you two will be great partners and even friends. She's someone that won't betray your secret."

Meredith sighed and looked at the scrub nurse. She was pretty and petite, around Meredith's height. She had pitch-black hair, with her eyes a shade of light purple. The nurse looked like a girl Meredith could trust. So she gave in "Fine," she began. "But only her. Nobody else can know."

The Chief smiled. He gestured to the nurse and said, "Meet scrub Nurse Courtney Williams. She's been working here for 6 years, every since she has been out of college. She's 27, your age."

Courtney smiled. "Hello, it's very nice to meet you. I can't wait to work with you Doctor…"

Meredith smiled. Maybe she could get to know this nurse. "Meredith Grey. Doctor Meredith Grey. It's very nice to meet you Courtney."

Courtney looked shocked. "You're-you're - "

"Ellis Grey's daughter, yes."

"You're the amazing child prodigy general surgeon from the East! I've heard all about you! It's an honor to work with you, Doctor Grey. IT has been a dream of mine."

"Thank you, Courtney. Although..." Meredith hesitated. "I came to Seattle to start over. I'm-I'm not known as Doctor Grey here, only as the intern Doctor Elizabeth Harrington-Gray. It isn't a complete lie but..."

Courtney interrupted Meredith. "But you don't want anyone to know. Don't worry, I wont tell. I get it, wanting to start all over. It's why I came here, to Seattle. I used to live back east, in Rhode Island, but I had to get away. I needed a change. So I get that, what you're going through. I hope you get it here. I know I did."

Meredith laughed. Finally, someone that understood her and what she wanted. "Thank you, for understanding. Not many people do. I have a feeling we are going to be great friends, Courtney. Let's get started now, shall we?"

Richard smiled. He knew this was the right thing to do, to make Meredith feel more comfortable. They all looked at the patient, who was asleep. Richard gently woke her up. "Ms. Johnson. It's time."

Ms. Johnson looked happy. "I can't wait. It's been too long."

Meredith stepped forward. "Hello Ms. Johnson. I am Doctor Grey. I will be the lead surgeon today. I assume you know Doctor Webber and this is my scrub nurse Courtney."

Courtney was ecstatic. No Doctor had every introduced her before, to a patient. She was excited. She knew Doctor Grey was different and could not wait to work with her.

Ms. Johnson smiled and grabbed Meredith's hand. "Thank you so much, dear. This means the world to me. I want this tumor out of me, I don't want to live like this."

"I promise to do my best Ms. Johnson."

"Katherine, call me Katherine."

Meredith smiled. It was patients like Katherine that made her day. "Alright Katherine, I need you to count back from ten for me."

"10, 9, 8," with that, Katherine was knocked out.

Meredith looked at Richard briefly, to see a smile on this face. She then turned to Courtney.

Meredith looks around the OR. "It's time to save a life today, everyone. Courtney, scalpel please."

She twirls the blade in her hand three times. It felt so good to be back in the OR, back in control. She missed it.

And without missing a beat, Meredith makes the first cut.

* * *

The surgery was very successful with no complications. It was a textbook procedure, yet Meredith made it look beautiful, not standard or normal. It was amazing, the way she worked; her stitches and cut were flawless. She moved and cut grace, making it seem as if the surgery was an art instead of just a routine surgery.

She was great, and well on her way to being on her way to being on of the greats. Probably even better than her mother.

This is what Dr. Webber and Nurse Courtney noticed as they watched Meredith during surgery. Meredith made them want to watch her; she drew them in.

Meredith, oblivious to their thinking, was on a major surgery high, more so than from the day before. It felt so good to be back in the OR, to be in control.

But she knew that she had rounds next, as an intern, and her high would not last all day.

Sadly.

"Dr. Webber," Meredith began. All three of them were scrubbing out from the surgery. "What time is it? I have rounds at 4:30 with Bailey."

The Chief looked at his watch and responded with, " It's 4. The surgery was 4 hours Meredith, which is normal for a procedure like this. Bring Ms. Johnson back to room 2414 and make sure she's all set, before heading to change. I have paperwork to catch up on, but will check on Katherine throughout the day and will keep you updated if anything changes." The Chief paused before smiling at Meredith. "Dr. Grey, good job in there. You sure do live up to the rumors. It was a pleasure to operate with you."

Meredith was excited to here the Chief compliment her, "Thank you Chief."

The Chief smiled and nodded, before walking out of the scrub room.

Meredith turned to the nurse. "Courtney, thank you so much for doing this. It means a lot."

"The pleasure is all mine, Dr. Grey. You were amazing in there and I can't wait to work with you again. You're definitely one of the greats."

Meredith blushed. "Call me Meredith. Dr. Grey sounds like my mother." Both girls laughed before Meredith continued. "But thanks. You were great in there too. You are definitely one of the best scrub nurses I have worked with; you know exactly what I need before I ask. No one else has had that connection with me. I'll make sure that even if I am the intern scrubbing in, you'll be in there with me. I can't wait to work with you again, though hopefully soon. You can always page me if you need anything."

Courtney beamed at Meredith. "Thank you so much, Meredith. That means so much to me. Let's go bring Ms. Johnson to her room, shall we? And maybe get coffee on our way? Because I think we are both going to need it for the long shift ahead."

Meredith burst out in laughter. "I like you already Courtney. We are so going to be great friends."

And with that, two girls walk out of the scrub room, laughing together as old friends.

* * *

Meredith and Courtney sit outside nursery, drinking their coffee. Meredith sighs. "This is exactly what I needed before I start my shift. Babies make everything better."

"They do," Courtney says. "It's peaceful and calming."

They stare at the babies in silence, until one starts to turn blue. The girls look at each other before running into the room, to make sure the baby is okay. After checking him over, the baby looks perfectly fine.

"Huh, that's so weird," Courtney began. "One second he was blue and the next he wasn't. Was it a - "

"Yes. He has a murmur," Meredith finishes for her. "He should have been checked already though…"

An intern walks up to the pair, not realizing their status, and says, "What are you doing in here? You're surgery, you're not authorized to be in here. Do you know how much trouble you can get into for this?"

Courtney stares at the intern in shock. Doesn't she realize that the person she is talking to is an attending, a higher rank than her?

Meredith looks at the intern. Probably a know it all, she assumes. And an idiot; cant she see the scrubs she's wearing? She has the power to go wherever. "You should have done some tests."

"It's a benign systolic ejection murmur. It goes away with age"

Meredith scoffed. "So that means you're not going to do any tests? You don't even know if that is the correct diagnosis. You could be wrong, you are only an intern."

"He's not your patient, he's not even on your service! Why do you care? I'm a doctor too, you know."

Meredith, and Courtney were fed up with this intern. But before Meredith could say anything, Courtney spoke up for her.

"You're a doctor, she's a doctor. You're an intern and what is she? An attending. She's higher up than you, she knows more. So no, it may not be her patient, but she's entitled to make sure no patient is misdiagnosed by a cocky intern. Come on, Doctor Grey, let's go." Both girls left to leave, while Meredith smirked at the shocked intern. Courtney hesitated at the door. "I may just be a scrub nurse, and a damn good one, but even I recognize who my superiors are. You should too. Next time, look at the color of the scrubs before you start talking."

As soon as they were out of earshot Meredith said, "Thanks, you didn't have to do that. I could have handled that myself."

"It's not a big deal. It's what friends do. You need to get ready for you're shit though. And you need to change."

"Yeah," Meredith sighed. "I do. Thanks for everything. I'll see you around Courtney?"

"You bet you're ass you will. Hope to see you soon, Dr. Grey. Hopefully sooner rather than later."

With that, both girls parted to get ready for their respect shifts.

* * *

Meredith decides that she hates the light blue scrubs. They remind her of her old intern days, something she really doesn't want to relive.

She walks out of the locker room, quite early, and hesitates before putting up a sign for roommates.

"Roommates, why do I even want roommates? I don't need any help paying and they can be annoying. Why then?" Meredith pauses her monologue. "Right. To make friends. This is definitely my dumbest idea yet. Other people are far too messy. It's all about lines. Drawing lines in the sand, and praying like hell no one crosses them. So what the hell am I doing?"

Meredith shakes her head and walks to find her resident. She, although, has to answer George and Izzie, saying she doesn't want people from the hospital. That would definitely be crossing the line. She watches as the others, Cristina included, complain to Bailey about wanting to cut, which is completely stupid. It won't work. Bailey then goes on a rant about making her happy, in which Meredith tunes it out. She knows the rules. When she tells them to move is when Meredith listens. Cristina then asks her, "Don't you want to cut too?"

Meredith smirks and decides to have some fun. "Who says I haven't cut yet? Maybe I have. Maybe I'm on a surgery high." Meredith walks away laughing, leaving Cristina dumbfounded.

And she's still laughing, even when she gets on the elevator with Doctor Shepherd.

"Seattle has ferry boats."

Meredith is startled, though she doesn't let it show. She wasn't really expecting him to talk. "Yes."

"I didn't know that. I've been living here six weeks, I didn't know there were ferry boats."

"Seattle is surrounded by water on three sides." She states as an obvious fact

"Hence the ferry boats. Now I have to like it here. I wasn't planning on liking it here. I'm from New York. Genetically engineered to dislike everywhere, except Manhattan. I have a thing for ferry boats."

'New York?' That definitely concluded Meredith's suspicions about Derek. But there was something else she was missing. "I'm not going out with you."

"Did I ask you to go out with me?" Derek pauses. "Do you want to go out with me?"

"I'm not dating you. And I'm definitely not sleeping with you again. You're my boss." It pained Meredith to say that, when he really wasn't.

"I'm your boss's boss."

'Technically she's not my boss either…' But Meredith couldn't really say that either. "You're my teacher. And my teacher's teacher. And you're my teacher."

"I'm your sister, I'm your daughter."

'Ass.' "You're sexually harassing me."

"I'm riding an elevator."

"Look, I'm drawing a line. The line is drawn. There's a big line."

"So, this line. Is it imaginary, or do I need to get you a marker?"

Meredith stares at him for a second, pondering what to do. To kiss him or not. 'Oh, what the hell.' She drops her folders and kisses him. They kiss until the elevator doors ding and Meredith quickly crouches to pick up her folders and leaves. Derek stands there looking bemused.

"We'll talk later?"

Although he can't see it, she smiles. She definitely couldn't wait to talk to him later.

As Meredith sees the rape victim for the first time, she cringes, knowing this is going to be a tough one.

She watches Shepherd and Burke talk about the girl during surgery, about her odds on surviving, how she's a fighter. Meredith sighs. They are missing one important fact, the girl's name.

"Allison. Her-her name is Allison," Meredith tells them. It was important to know the patients name that someone is operating on.

"Allison." Derek repeats what she said. Meredith wants to punch the wall; obviously it's Allison if she just said so.

Burke is the next one to speak. "I think I may have found the cause of our rupture," he says, as he pulls out a piece of flesh. "What is this? Does anyone know what this is?"

Meredith looks at it and her eyes widen. "Oh my god."

"What? Spit it out, Grey."

Meredith can't believe it. This case just got so much more interesting. "She bit it off."

"Bit off what?"

"That's his...his penis." She can hear the groans throughout the room and Meredith just wants to laugh her ass of. Men. "She bit off his penis."

Meredith almost does when Burke throws the penis into the tray. However sad this case is, this just made her day. "Well, this is a first," she mumbles to herself.

Burke frowns. "Gray, do you have something to say?"

Shit. Meredith thought no one had heard her. She rolls her eyes. "No _sir_." Sir my ass, Burke.

Derek is confused. She definitely said something, something about a first or something. He shook is head. He had to be imagining things, right?

Meredith watches after the surgery as the intern who called her a nurse yesterday gets reassigned to her group. Lovely. And to think that this day started with a high…

She leaves to go to the Chief's office, to get rid of the damn penis. She patiently waits in his office, until the chief comes in, which is when Meredith gets straight to her point. "Why am I carrying around a penis in a cooler? I'm a surgeon, a damn good one, for crying out loud! I'm not a penis carrier!"

The Chief sighs. "You have to take it with you."

Meredith explodes. "WHAT?"

Richard sighs, he knew this would happen. "Chain of custody rules. All medical matter and array must stay with the person who collected it, until it's placed in police custody."

Meredith is shocked. "Custody of a penis. What am I suppose to do with the penis?"

The Chief doesn't respond.

"I'm not a penis protector Richard." Meredith storms out of the room, with the cooler in hand.

Meredith gets angry as George and Cristina question her about her cooler. All she wants is to be left alone. So she walks away, trying to think about her surgery this morning and the blue baby, which don't exactly improve her mood. Instead, she goes to look at Allison. She doesn't even notice she's not alone, until Derek begins to talk.

"Meredith. I've called every hospital in the county. Sooner or later, the guy that did this is going to seek medical attention, and when he does, that penis you're carrying around is going to nail him."

"Where is her family?" She wants to know, this girl needs support.

"Doesn't have any."

"No siblings?"

"No. Both parents are dead. She just moved to Seattle three weeks ago. Welcome to the city. Meredith, you okay?"

Meredith stares forward in a trance. She knows how it feels, to be alone. And now this girl is all alone too, and hurt. Meredith begins to talk, not fully realizing what she is saying or saying to. "It's just I hate cases like these. They hit you the hardest. And to be alone, it sucks. I get it." She remembers the baby from this morning. "I have to go." Meredith runs out of the room, hoping to save a baby's life.

She doesn't realize that she left Derek there dumbfounded over her words. Here words, the 'cases like these,' and being alone, he didn't understand. This would be her first one; she's just an intern.

Derek realizes that something is off with Liz. She's different. And Derek won't stop until he finds out what it is.

Meanwhile, Meredith bursts into the Chief's office. "Richard," she begins. "There's a baby in the nursery who keeps turning blue, I saw him after my surgery this morning. The intern says it's a murmur, but I know it's not. It could be a serious heart defect, and no body in Peds will do anything about it. Can you get Burke to check it out or something? I just don't want an innocent baby to die, not when I can do something about it."

Richard stares at Meredith and sees that she is serious. He nods slowly. "I'll ask Burke to check it out. If you're right, you can scrub in, ill see to it."

Meredith sighs in relief. "Thank you Chief."

"It's not a problem. And Meredith, I would do the exact same thing that you did. Good job."

Meredith smiles and walks out of the Chief's office and goes to find Cristina. She finds her and they sit in the lobby together.

It's Cristina who speaks first. "What're you doing down here?"

"Just sitting here with my penis. What about you?"

"Hiding from Alex."

"I-" Wait I can't tell her I kissed Derek.

"What?"

"I talked to Shepherd today, like a full on conversation. And I made a fool of myself, sort of."

"You talked to him? I thought you said he was a jackass."

"He was easy to talk to and I got distracted. It's a bad day."

"Oh, so this is what you do on your bad days. Talk to Dr. McDreamy. What's next, making out with McDreamy?" They both stand up to leave.

Meredith smirks at her. Cristina looks at her, with her jaw on the floor. "You did not," she exclaims.

Meredith laughs. "I kissed Derek."

"You kissed Derek."

"In an elevator."

"Oh, you kissed him in the elevator.

"Like I said, it's a bad day, a day that started off so good."

"So this is what you do on your bad days," Cristina confirms. "Was he any good?

"Well, that, and you know, carrying around a pen1s just makes everything seem so shiny and happy." Meredith pauses, before continuing. "It was amazing. He's a really good kisser."

"I can't believe you kissed McDreamy."

Before Meredith can even respond, both girls hear a car swerve. Meredith looks at Cristina before running outside. A man is staggering out of his car, his clothes soaked in blood, mainly around his crotch. He collapses and in seconds there are doctors and nurses checking him.

'Ah, so this is the rapist,' Meredith thinks. "I'll go security. Let's move people"

As Meredith is puling the bed, Dr. Bailey shows up. "So, what've we got?"

"Take a look."

"What?" Bailey says, before looking. "All right, let's get him into OR 1. Liz, you call the chief and let him know we got the rapist."

Meredith calls the Chief before going to scrub in. She reaches into her pocket to grab her scrub cap, before remembering that interns don't have their own. She sighs, scrubs in, and goes into the OR.

Meredith decides to see say something, as her and Cristina are cleaning the penis. "I saw Alison, you can't believe the beating that she took. And then to see this..."

"It's like that old saying, you should see the other guy."

"Why are we not attempting to reattach the severed penis?"

Cristina answers Bailey first. "Teeth don't slice, they tear, you can only reattach with a clean cut. If she wanted to slice him off with a knife..."

Meredith decides to chime in "Besides, the digestive juices didn't leave much of the flesh to work with."

"Right, so what do we do?"

"Sew him up minus a large part of the family jewels."

"And his outlook?"

Meredith smiles under her mask. "He'll be urinating out of a bag for a very, very long time."

"Not to mention he'll never be able to have sex again."

"Oh, too bad."

"Shame."

"Let's all take a moment to grieve. Clamp."

Meredith wants to laugh, but knows it would be unprofessional. And besides, they guy is losing what makes him a man anyways, which is so worth it.

* * *

Later on, Meredith walks into any empty hallway to find her fellow interns sitting on beds. She makes the decision to rant to them. Like an intern would. "So the police say that they can't send down the crack crime scene guy for hours. So I have to spend the night with a penis. Alex, don't say it."

"Ahh, it was too easy anyway."

"Who here feels like they have no idea what they're doing?" George asks. Everyone raises their hands, except Alex and Meredith, who hesitates before doing so, as to not seem suspicious.

George continues on. "I mean, are we supposed to be learning something, because I don't feel like I'm learning anything."

"Except how not to sleep," Izzie says.

Cristina says something next, which surprises Meredith because she didn't think that Cristina would. "It's like there's this wall, and the attendings and the residents are over there, being surgeons, and we're over here, being..."

"Suturing, code running, lab delivering penis-minders." Meredith wanted to slap herself for saying that. It's what interns are supposed to do.

"I hate being an intern."

Meredith sighs and mumbles to herself, "I did too, Alex."

Bailey comes in and looks expectant. Everyone gets up and leaves, except for Meredith. Bailey sits down and starts eating someone's chips. She looks up at Meredith. "You want to say something Gray? If not, there's stuff to be done."

Meredith sighs. What was she thinking? But before she could change her mind, she blurts out, "You'll make an excellent General surgeon, Doctor Bailey. You have what it takes to succeed in this specialty. Not many have what you do. And trust me, I've been around the famous general surgeon myself." Meredith smiles before leaving, knowing that she could give away herself. But Meredith meant every word she said.

Bailey looked at the retreating form of her intern, confused. How would the intern know that? And the famous general surgeon? That would be…no. Maybe they're related. Bailey sighed. She would take the complement, but ask the Chief about this intern. She was a special one.

Meredith gets paged to the Chief's office. When she walks in, she sees Burke leaving and immediately knows it's about the baby. Burke stops her before she can walk in. "I'll see you in the OR, Gray."

"Liz," the Chief says as Meredith walks in. "I got Burke to check out the patient. It's tetrology affirmed lower pulmonary artresia. OR is booked for tomorrow. I told Burke a fellow attending noticed something, while walking by the nursery. Good job Grey."

Meredith is shocked. She didn't think Burke would believe the Chief. "Thanks Chief. I need to go check on Allison." She smiles before walking to Allison's room.

As Meredith walks in, she notices Derek is still there. She decides to say something. "How is she?"

"No change."

"Have you been here all night?"

"Mm-hmm. Yup. You know I have four sisters? Very girly, tons of kids. If I was in a coma, they'd all be here. I'd want them here. Having no one? Can't imagine that."

Meredith sighs. "I can. I have my mother but, well, she's not the best mother."

Derek nods sadly. "So we're kissing but we're not dating?"

"I knew that was going to come up."

"Don't get me wrong, I like the kissing. I'm all for the kissing. More kissing, I say."

"I have no idea what that was about."

"Is it going to happen again? Because if it is, I need to bring breath mints. Put a condom in my wallet."

"Shut up now." Derek laughs. "There was this baby up in the nursery. He's brand new. No one's neglected him or damaged him yet. How do we get from there to here? Someone's beat the crap out of her, and she's got nobody. I just don't get it." But before anything else could be said, there is beeping. Alison's in trouble and Meredith hits an alarm on the wall.

"Her ICP's double, get an OR! Put her in for a craniotomy."

Meredith sighs. She really thought that Allison would make it. Since she couldn't go in, Meredith leans against the wall, until Derek comes back. Eventually, later on, Derek walks past her, only to turn back to her.

"Hey. I, uh, I had to leave her skull flap off, till the pressure in her brain goes down."

"I figured."

Derek looks at her with a blank expression. "She's going to be fine."

"If she ever wakes up."

Derek nods. "If she ever wakes up." Meredith looks at him one more time before walking out, leaving Derek only with his thoughts.

Meredith is excited when she finally is able to get rid of the penis, even though it's a bit weird when Richard mentions that he used to change her diapers. But when Burke tells her he'll let her hold the clamp, Meredith is ecstatic. Heart surgery is pretty cool, even if it's not what Meredith specialized in.

And later on she finally tells George and Izzie they can move in. "Okay, fine, George and Izzie, you can move into the house."

"YES! Yes!" George screams.

"I can't believe you caved!" Izzie says, while hugging George.

"Yes!" George screams, while him and Izzie start dancing

"I can't believe I caved."

"I can't believe you did."

Meredith walks over to the elevator to check on Ms. Johnson before leaving. She sees Derek there.

"So. It's intense...this thing I have for, ah, ferry boats I mean."

Meredith turns to smile at Derek. "I'm so taking the stairs this time."

The elevator dings.

"No self-control. It's sad. Really."

Meredith walks into Ms. Johnson's room to find her awake. "Ms. Johnson? Hi I'm Doctor Grey." Meredith picks up the charts, checks it over as well as all the monitors. She sees that all the stats are good and that Ms. Johnson is doing very well post-op.

Ms. Johnson smiles. "I remember you. Thank you so much. You did an amazing job. I can't wait to go home."

Meredith smiles at the patient and walks to the door and stops. "It was my pleasure Ms. Johnson. I'm glad to see you are doing so well. You will most likely be able to go home in a couple of days, I'm sure Doctor Webber will confirm that. Take care now."

"I will. I hope that I don't have to come back here but if I do, I want you as my doctor, Doctor Grey. From what I have seen you are very good."

Meredith laughs. "Thank you. That means a lot. Have a good day."

Ms. Johnson smiles. "You too doc."

Meredith runs outside and catches up with her friends. She begins to think that maybe this second time around will be better. She smiles and laughs, finally glad to be going home.

Derek Shepherd watches this whole scene play out in front of him. When he sees Liz smile, he recognizes it. It's almost like…he shakes his head. It can't be, it's only a coincidence. Derek walks away, trying to convince himself. And failing.

Little does he know how right he is.

 _Shit. It's the Dead Baby bike race today. I totally forgot. Stupid Seattle. At least I'll get some OR time._

 _In the distance, a phone rings. "Don't answer it! I've got it!" a voice yells. She sees the area code ad sighs. "Hello, Doctor Grey speaking…Hello Mother." The voice on the other end keeps talking and the girl sighs. "Fine, I'll come. But I can't do this all the time. I'll talk to you later mom." After a minute she hangs up. "Who was that?" the girl's roommate asks. The girl jumps in shock. "My mother." "You're mother?" the roommate questions. The girl forces a smile. "Yes she's very demanding. I will be right back. I have an errand to run." With that, the girl walks out of the house and when she's alone, she adds to her last comment; "Because no one ever ignores Ellis Grey."_

" _WHY IS SHE HERE RICHARD?" The man in question looks confused. "What?" The girl sighs. "You know who. Why is Liz a patient in this hospital? She knows me Chief. That's a big no-no in my book." Richard looks at the girl. "Meredith," he begins. "You know why she's here. She is-" The girl cuts him off. "I know what se has Richard. She is dying, I know. I saw the chart. But why here? Do you know how it is for me? And now I should, I have to tell my mother. How do you start that conversation? 'Hello Mother. By the way, your favorite scrub nurse is dying.' How? How do I do that Richard?" Meredith bursts into tears. Richard moves to hug the girl, someone he looks at as a daughter. "I am so sorry Meredith, she came here, I couldn't turn her away. You know that." Meredith sniffles. "There's no chance. Cristina thinks there is going to be a Whipple but there won't be. It's too late. It's too advanced. She's-she's going to die." Meredith bursts out crying again. She mumbles softly, "She was my favorite too. I'm-I'm going to miss here Chief." Richard looks at Meredith with a soft expression. "I know, I know you will. Your mother will too. Everyone will. She was an amazing scrub nurse, especially when she had to deal with your mother." Meredith snorts and laughs a bit. And so they sit, crying and sort of laughing over the impending death of Liz._

Read more at:


	5. AN:It's a Beautiful Day

**Hey all- words can even describe how sorry I am for not updating my stories! I actually have plots and drafts for a couple chapters to, I just need to type it out. These past two years have been hectic and hell and good-I got my first boyfriend, but I had so much family drama and tensions going on. It put so much stress on my life, occupying so much of my time. On top of that it was my senior year of High School so I had essays and college applications….Things have just finally started to settle down and I mina much better emotional and physical place to start writing. I promise I will update! I actually have more time to write in college. Again I'm so sorry!**

 **Below is something that came to me in my WCI(writing and critical inquiry class) and below is what I wrote. Tell me what you think; I want your honest thoughts! This could either be an original story or it could be fan fiction (Percy Jackson), you guys tell me! Tell me what you think and where you could see this going. I also posted it as its own story with summary so you can read it there as well. I promise to have an update for you guys within 2 weeks!**

 **Enjoy and once again sorry!**

I collapsed on the ground in the clearing, clawing at my chest, struggling to breathe.

 _Thump-thump_

 _Thump-thump_

I could hear my heart beat echo around me, as if it was beating out of my body.

 _Thump-thump_

 _Thump-thump_

I could feel my heart beating slower, each intake of breath getting harder getting harder to take.

 _Thump-thump_

I gasp, struggling to get air into my lungs

 _Thump-thump_

The sun beats down on my face and there is a light breeze, the trees slightly swaying in the wind.

 _Thump-thump_

It's a beautiful day. How come I didn't notice it before?

 _Thump-thump_

I hear voices in the distance but I know they wont make it in time.

 _Thump-thump_

Blood trickles out of the corner of my mouth, and I gasp to try to get some air into my body.

 _Thump-thump_

It fails. My heartbeat is slowing down. I'm fading, I can feel it. I'm dying.

 _Thump-thump_

I can hear the footsteps coming closer, but not close enough. I'm so sorry.

 _Thump-thump_

How did it come to this?

 _Thump_

It's a beautiful day,

Sky falls, you feel like

 _Thump_

I stare up at the sun and the blue sky. At the woods, trees, and animals around me. The last part of nature that hasn't been cursed to die.

 _Thump_

I take one last breath; one last taste of the sweet air I have breathed my entire life.

 _Thump_

I slowly close my eyes.

 _Thump._

This is goodbye. I love you all.

 **Thump** \- **his last heartbeat**

 _His whispered words flow with the wind, soft and gentle. "I'm sorry."_

It's a beautiful day

Don't let it get away…..

 **And nature moans and weeps for the lost innocent soul who was not meant to die on this beautiful day. He was never meant to be cursed.**

 **The world will never be the same.**


	6. Chapter 6: The Dead Baby Surgical Race

**The Dead Baby Surgical Race**

 **Here's the next chapter, I hope you all like it! Got it done faster than expected, most of it was written already. 18 pages on Microsoft word. Enjoy! Let me know what you think. Also check out my original story on my profile, tell me what you think!**

 **Xoxo- Daughter of Thalassa**

Meredith rolls over in her bed, dreading to get up. She already has a feeling its gong to be a long day. As a great way to start off her day, she rolls over to see Izzie standing at the edge of her bed. "AAH!"

"George's room is bigger than mine, Izzie states immediately.

Meredith groans, she can already see where this conversation is going. Izzie is going to complain about how she should have the bigger room because she has more clothes while George is going to say that he got there yada yada. Meredith couldn't care less. They could figure out for themselves

So instead, she decides to cover her ears with her hands, roll out of bed, and walk away, ignoring the argument; she couldn't deal with this right now.

Meredith only decides to start listening when she hears Izzie say, "..In the back hall, I found this box with like a hundred tapes of surgery."

Meredith freezes. She knew she should have hid those better; those boxes contained both her own and her mother's surgeries.

"Really?" George asks. "We should watch them Liz, You want to watch-"

But before he could finish, Meredith slams her door in her roommates' faces and takes Izzie's coffee. She couldn't let George finish that sentence, they can't watch those videos. Otherwise her cover would be blown.

She purposely ignored Georges' question and sighed. Meredith knew it was too early for this.

"Shit," Meredith swore under her breath. "It's the Dead Baby bike race today. I totally forgot. Stupid Seattle. At least I'll get some OR time."

Yep. This was already going to be a sucky day.

Meredith decided that today was not her day. At all. She purposely ignored the interns' conversation on the Dead Baby Bike Race and tuned out Bailey's speech on trauma protocol.

Blah, blah, blah. She could not care less. It was all things she knew anyways. It was second nature to her. She didn't need to hear it _again._ She had heard it way too many times from her mother, more than necessary, in her opinion.

" _The rules of trauma interns: Do not mingle with ER interns at all! You are surgical, and those idiots don't know their ass from the heart. Suture fast and discharge, move on to the next patient, and take necessary bodies up to the OR yesterday. Be efficient, don't get sloppy," says Ellis Grey as she scolds her interns_

 _Meredith rolls her eyes. "I think we know this already Mother. We have done traumas before and aren't completely incompetent."_

 _Ellis shoots her daughter a glare. "As your attending its my duty to remind you. Not everyone is as good as you Meredith. It's a teaching hospital."_

" _Then teach, don't yell and treat us like 5 year olds!" Meredith shoots right back at her mother._

 _Ellis looks like she was going to say more but scoffs at Meredith instead. "Come on we have work to do."_

 _Meredith smiles, a small victory was won here._

Meredith snaps out of her little flashback She rolls her eyes when Cristina and Izzie fight over a patient. "Interns, always so eager."

But, when she sees the guy with nails in his side, well whoever said that winning wasn't everything.

"Ooh. I'll take that guy." Well, she could have some fun as well, Meredith decided. Besides, she wasn't playing attending today…

"No, you'll have to beat me to him first," Alex tells her and they fight for the patient.

Meredith only shakes her head when Alex pulls out the nails with no X-ray. Rookie mistake. "Idiots, actual idiots!" she mumbles. "This is why I hate the race!"

Meredith avoids Viper trying to kiss her-she doesn't need anyone to see that-sews him up, and sends him back out to the race. So much for a surgery.

She definitely rolls her eyes when Derek tells her, "You know, I almost died today. Yeah I came like (with the gesture included) this close? How would you feel if I died? And you didn't get a chance to go out with me?"

Her response is quite simple. "Get over yourself already."

His reply? "Come on."

She sighs. "It's the chase isn't it?"

Derek is stunned. "What?"

Meredith gives him a look. She hates repeating herself. "The thrill of the chase. I've been wondering to myself, why are you so hell bent on getting me to go out with you? You know you're my boss, you know it's against the rules (but you're not my boss); you know I keep saying no. It's the chase."

"Well it's fun isn't it?" Ass.

"You see? This is a game to you. But not to me. Because unlike you, I still have something to prove," Meredith tells him, before leaving. "Well," She mumbles, "not really."

As she walks down the hallway, Meredith hears alarms going off, takes off in a run, and hears Izzie cry to her, " Oh no. Liz! He's crashing."

Meredith wants to smack her forehead. Stupid interns. Instead she screams, " Well, what the hell are you doing, call code!"

Izzie looks around nervously and says the words that make Meredith really want to smash her head against a wall, " I can't, and I'm not suppose to, he's brain dead."

And this is one of those times where all Meredith wants to do is scream endlessly to get her frustration out. She grits her teeth and says, "Well Izzie, if he's (fucking) brain dead, you have to let him go."

But as stubborn as Izzie is, she says, "NO. It's only been 5 hours and 33 minutes, he's suppose to get 6 hours."

Meredith sighs. Technically speaking, Izzie is right. "Well," she begins, "we can't do anything to make him live, it's not our place to make that call." But as soon as the words are out of her mouth Meredith knows it is technically her place to make the call….

"He's a person, we're doctors, we should have every right to make that call. We can't just stand here and do nothing while he dies. He has a right to the next 27 minutes."

Meredith knows Izzie's right. She caves. After all…she did something similar once.

 _Meredith stands watch over a 14 year-old girl, slowly dying from internal damage to her organs after being hit by a car. In just an hour she'd be declared brain dead without her family surrounding her. The hospital couldn't ID until a few minutes ago and the family was just contacted and wouldn't be her for at least an hour and a half. It was Meredith responsibility to look after her. She wouldn't leave the girl to be left alone._

 _As the hour came to a close, Ellis Grey herself came into the room. "Meredith", she began, "it's time to call it. It has been 6 hours."_

 _Meredith was furious. Call this girls death now? When her own family was on the way, to see their baby girl before she died? Meredith glared at her mother. "NO! This girl's family is on their way and should be here in a half hour. It hasn't been 6 hours yet and every parents has the right to see their child on their deathbed and decide what should be done! It's one thing if the girl was a jane doe but she's not mother, her name is Annie. And she has a loving family coming to see her and how pissed would they be if they learned that the oh-so-great Dr. Ellis Grey pulled the plug and killed their daughter before they got to the hospital? When there is indeed a surgery, a very very risky one that I could perform that could save her life? No I stand against you on this Dr. Grey. This is my patient, I decide what will happening and I am waiting for the family to come and give them all the options. Now please leave MY patients room."_

 _And with that Meredith shoves her mother out of the room and hold vigil until Annie's family comes…_

Meredith snaps out of her memories and makes her decision. Here's to something my mother does not and will never approve of… "Screw it. I'll get the dopamine, you get the blood, and we'll transfuse him." And breaking the rules has never felt better…

Some part of Meredith can't believe she just did that but the other part her isn't shocked. Her and Izzie run into Cristina on the stairs

"He's stable." She felt like it would be a good thing to state his condition.

Cristina states, "For now. I had a radiologist look at his chest; apparently he has a traumatic aortic injury. He's going to rupture and bleed out." Well, fuck.

Izzie says slowly, "So he needs surgery."

Meredith barely listens to Izzie's good-hearted speech about him wanting to live. But even Meredith knew this guy wasn't going to live much longer. When Izzie storms up stairs, Cristina voices Meredith's own thoughts. "She's the vice-president of fantasy land."

Meredith voices the one question on her mind: "We need Burke don't we?" And the look on Cristina's face gives her the answer she needs and the ability to walk upstairs.

As Meredith and Cristina stand outside the boys' room Meredith actually can't believe they are doing this.

"Dr. Burke?" Meredith asks?

"Hello?"

As Meredith backs away Cristina reopens the door and says, "Dr. Burke, um, I know you're busy, but our John Doe needs an aortic repair."

"The guy from this morning? Isn't he legally dead?" Burke asks?

Cristina says back, "Well, yeah, he's kind of still around? We gave him two units PRBCs and put him on pressers."

Burke states with an edge, "On whose orders?"

This time Meredith proudly opens the door and says, "Mine." Because it's true, she doesn't regret it at all.

Burke seems shocked. "You gave a brain-dead John Doe a blood transfusion without consulting anyone. And now you want me to repair his heart." Well way to state the obvious.

Cristina answers him this time. "Well, yes."

Burke says back, "You do enjoy crossing the line, don't you?"

I love crossing lines Doctor Burke, just ask my mother. Instead of saying that though, Meredith says, "He is an excellent candidate for organ donation."

Burke got fed up, Meredith could tell. "I am a surgeon. I save lives. This guy is already dead. Now, this is the men's room. Either whip one out or close the door." As they leave Meredith resists the urge to laugh.

After the failed conversation with Burke, Meredith is at a loss. She doesn't know how to go from here, how to get Burke to do the surgery. But a thought hits her: the only way to get around Burke is to go to the Chief, who likes her very much…

Once she found Cristina and Izzie, they find George and surround him. She knows he has the Chief's VIP patient, Mackie, and the perfect way to get around Burke.

George looks at them. "What'd I do?" Meredith smirks internally. _Oh only be our bait George._

Meredith asks her next question even though she knows the answer. "How close a match for the liver is your guy to our John Doe?"

George says, "Very. Same type, same size. UNOS couldn't find a better match. Why?"

Izzie shoots the next question. "And he's the Chief's VIP right?"

"Right."

And of course Cristina asks the next one. Surgical Junkie. "How much would you kill to be in on a transplant surgery?"

George replies with, "You underestimate me. I'm not a baby; I'm your colleague. You don't have to manipulate me, if you want something all you have to do is ask."

"We want you to go over Burke's head to the Chief," Izzie says.

George looks a bit stunned. "Ask me something easier." But Meredith knows he'll do it.

Meredith, Cristina, and Izzie watch George and Webber from down the hall. Meredith sees him stuttering over tell Webber they have a liver.

"While this was fun, Burke is sending us straight to hell," Meredith pipes up.

"On an express train," Cristina comments back.

"If it works." Izzie, always the optimist.

Meredith sees Alex come up and knows shit will hit the fan.

"What are you doing?" Alex asks.

They all reply at the same time, "Nothing."

Meredith sees Burke walk by Webber and Webber stopping him, starting to talk to him. She doesn't even need to hear Izzie's comment to know that their plan worked. Once Webber leaves, Burke looks at George, who leaves, and then looks at them. Meredith knows better than to stick around and drags Izzie and Cristina away. She knows Alex will go after Burke but it is better than going to hell.

While later, all of them and George are watching the open-heart surgery, where Alex is assisting Burke.

Cristina comments first. "I seriously hate that guy."

Meredith is pissed. She hasn't been on an open-heart surgery in months and she was so excited to finally participate in one again. "Alex is vermin. That surgery is ours." _I've been waiting for open-heart surgery and unlike that ass I actually know how to do one!_

"At least Burke is doing the surgery. I don't care about Alex. George? You did good." Meredith rolls her eyes. Of course that's all Izzie cares about.

"I'm going to have to dodge Burke for the rest of my career. He could kill me and make it look like an accident." George is petrified and Meredith knows it. She almost laughs.

Meredith is at her locker, getting ready to leave. Today sucked, there was no surgery. She figured this might happen. Her pager starts beeping as Alex bursts in.

"God, I smell good. You know what it is?" Ales says s he turns to Meredith. "It's the smell of open heart surgery. It's awesome. It is awesome. You gotta smell me," he finishes as he walks up to Meredith. Meredith has not patience for this.

"I don't want to smell you." I want to kill you.

Alex nuzzles her. "Oh yes you do."

Meredith has had enough with him! He needs to be knocked down a few pegs. SO she turns and grabs him, pushing him against the lockers. "You have got to be kidding me! Okay. I have more important things to deal with than you. I have roommates, and boy problems, and mommy dearest problems. You want to act like a little frat boy bitch, that's fine. You want to take credit for your saves, and everybody else's? That's fine too. You and I both know you're half the surgeon I am and that you'll ever be. Just stay out of my face. I don't have patience for assholes like you. "She doesn't even hear Derek come in as she grabs Alex's chin and makes him look at her. "And for the record, you smell like crap."

As soon as she sees Derek she goes back to her locker. She's not surprised he came in.

"She attacked me," Alex complains. That's it. Meredith moves to attack him for real.

"Liz, Liz, Liz!" Derek says and grabs her arms, pulling her back. He directs what he says next to Alex. "You know, you might want to leave. Before I change my mind and let her beat you to a pulp with her tiny ineffectual fists." He pushes Alex out the door and closes it. Meredith finally looks at him.

"What?" Derek questions.

"Nothing. It's just, nothing." Nothing my ass.

She closes her locker and Derek opens the door for her. She looks at his face studying it. His eyes, Meredith cant get over them. They look so familiar. She sighs. Shell think on it later and with that she walks away.

As she walks through the door, she sees Izzie and George looking through her mother and her's surgical tapes. They keep discussing the ones they are seeing, including a Skin Grafting one. That one was Meredith's and she was quite proud of it. Her heart stops. They can't find out! It's only when Izzie goes "Ooh! Hemipelvectomy." does she snap out of it and storms over to them.

"We are not watching any of these! These aren't yours, they're mine. M-I-N-E. Do not touch them. We are not watching surgery tapes that are not any of your business, we're not unpacking boxes, and we're not having long conversations where we celebrate the moments of our lives!" Meredith all but yells at them.

George is the first to say something. "I ordered Chinese food."

Meredith is fuming. They order the one food she hates. She storms upstairs. "I hate Chinese food!" She's had a shitty day. She's going to bed. Maybe tomorrow will be better..

The next day she walks into the hospital with Cristina complaining about Izzie and George.

"They're everywhere. All the time. Izzie's all perky, and George does this thing where he's helpful and considerate, they share food and they say things and they move things, and they breathe. They're like happy," Meredith complains to Cristina. They really are way to happy for her liking. Maybe she should expose them to the Mother Ellis Grey to make them darker.

Cristina says, "Kick them out."

Meredith sighs. "I can't kick them out. They just moved in. I asked them to move in."

"So what, you're just going to repress everything into some deep dark twisted place until one day you snap and kill them?" That sounds perfect!

"Yup."

Cristina smirks. "This is why we are friends."

Meredith notices Alex coming up behind them as they enter the hospital. "Why is the Nazi making us stay in the Pit two days in a row?" Alex questions.

Meredith sighs. Interns really are dumb. "Leftovers," is her simple answer.

"Leftovers?" Of course, Alex doesn't know what it means.

Meredith replies, "Gotta get the cyclists who were too drunk or too stupid or too scared to get themselves to a hospital yesterday." Which hopefully is a lot, I want a surgery.

Alex replies with, "While meanwhile, she gets to do a freakin' organ harvest."

"Oh, that kills you, doesn't it?" Cristina says.

"What?"

"That two women got the harvest."

"No, it kills me that anyone got the harvest but me. Boobs do not factor into this equation. Unless you want to show me yours."

Meredith and Cristina exchange looks. Of course all Alex cares about is boobs. They wait for the elevator together.

Meredith makes a witty comment, one she has kind of considered before. "I'm going to become a lesbian."

"Me too." She's not surprised Cristina agrees. The elevator dings but Meredith and Cristina decide to go for the stairs.

_

Meredith sighs. Of course she gets stuck in the Pit with Alex. As she looks around she sees Viper in a chair. She's surprised, but not really.

"What's Viper doing her?" She mostly says this to herself but Alex responds.

"Probably crashed his bike. Again." Meredith highly doubts that's true.

"How long has he been waiting?" Meredith suspects something is really wrong here.

"Don't know. I am busy on real cases. He's all yours." Alex is stupid he should never dismiss a patient like that. It's a rookie and costly mistake.

"Viper? Viper?" Meredith questions, as she sees him holding his side, beginning to cough. "Are you okay?" Viper tries to stand as Meredith runs to him, but he falls. She knows he is unconscious. Blood is coming out of his mouth. "Viper!" She tries to get his attention one last time.

Meredith lifts up his shirt to see his stitches ripped open and the area around them swelled up to the size of a melon. Meredith knows immediately he needs surgery and calls for a gurney. Dammit! She knew it; she should have demanded that he get an X-ray.

As soon as it arrives, Meredith gets Viper on top, sits in him trying to hold his wound closed, and talks to a nurse all at once. She loves it, being in the middle of it all, trying to save a persons life. It's the rush she has missed. She's finally back in her element. She knows Alex is there too, the idiot himself.

"Call up to the OR and tell them we're coming. Page Dr. Bailey," she tells the Nurse. "Right away," the nurse responds.

Meredith notices Alex staring at Viper with his hands on his hips looking shocked. She yells at him, "Alex! Push the damn gurney!"

A nurse says, "Clear the way. Coming through." While Alex calls, "Somebody get the elevator!"

"Hurry! I don't know how long I can keep this wound closed," Meredith exclaims. Meredith watches as the elevator closes and moves up slowly. "Move faster damnit."

AS the arrive to the OR Meredith is still straddling Viper. She made it. Bailey sees them and says, "Well this is a new one. Somebody get her off my patient." Meredith climbs done. "Liz go get cleaned up and scrub in. Alex, get back downstairs." Yes! Finally a surgery! Meredith rushes off to clean up, excited at the prospect of surgery. Once she hears Alex will not be scrubbing in she is even happier. Smug even. Serves him right he doesn't deserve too.

The surgery was a success and Meredith couldn't have been happier. Her and Bailey walk out of the OR and to the waiting room, where Vipers friends are.

Bailey speaks first. "This lovely group's his friends. Uh you all belong to – what's his name Liz?"

"Viper." Simple.

"Viper?" Bailey questions. No, Meredith think. It's Daisy.

A man responds. "Yeah we were in the race."

A girl speaks next. "How is he, is he okay?"

Bailey is fuming at this point and Meredith understands completely. People are idiots. "Is he okay? No. No, he is not okay, at all. He hurled his body down a concrete mountain at full speed for no good reason. Yeah, I know you all pierce yourselves and smoke up and generally treat your bodies like your grungy asses can't break down to A, you want to kill yourselves, flying down a concrete mountain, go to it, but there are other people walking, people driving, people trying live their lives on that concrete mountain, and one of them got his brains scrambled today because one of you little sniffling no-good snot-rag –" Meredith knows that she needs to interrupt Bailey here. While she agrees completely, she is going a bit too far.

"Doctor Bailey," Meredith interrupts.

"Yeah, yeah so no, your friend Viper, as far as I'm concerned, is not okay." With that Bailey stalks off. Meredith understands she hates interacting with relatives like this.

Meredith speaks up next. "She's tired, but Viper's going to make it. He's going to live. But don't disregard what Dr. Bailey said. She's completely right and take her words to heart."

The group responds with a "Cool thanks," and Meredith is still wondering how some people can be so stupid.

Meredith is in the locker room, packing up her stuff when Derek comes in and shuts the door. He speaks first. "It's not the chase." Oh so this is what he wants to talk about.

"What?" Meredith says.

"You and me. It is not the thrill of the chase. It's not a game. It's...it's your tiny ineffectual fists. And your hair." What does my hair have to do with anything? But he is very charming Meredith has to admit that. Like that surgeon she met once in Boston…

"My hair?" She decides that is a safe reply.

"Smells good. And you're very, very bossy. Keeps me in line." As I rightfully should. HA. At least he will admit it.

"I'm still not going out with you." Not right now at least. I wont let him win that easily ha. Two can play hard to get.

"You say that now. " And with that, Derek leaves. Meredith can't help but smile. We'll see wont we.

As Meredith leaves, she runs into Courtney. "Courtney!" Meredith cries.

Courtney turns and smiles. "Meredith, how are you? I haven't seen you in a bit."

Meredith hugs her. "I know, this stupid race has kept me busy. I've had to deal with interns saving dead guys, stolen heart surgeries, an annoying Alex, and a guy with nails. And my roommates! They are always in the way and are way to bright and shiny for my liking."

Meredith and Courtney share a laugh. "Sounds like you have a lot going on. Come on, lets grab a coffee and ice cream from that place across from the hospital and you can tell me all about it, before you go home."

Meredith smiles. Courtney knows her so well. "You're the best. That's the best idea I have heard of in a while. Let's go!"

"Did I forget to mention Izzie and George found my mother and I's surgery tapes! They want to watch them! How do I explain that?" Meredith cries.

Courtney shakes her head in contemplation. "You could always tell them you won them at a presentation Ellis and you did and that "Ellis' daughter" gave you a couple to watch. Or something like that. Just keep the ones of your surgeries hidden and leave your mothers. That might work."

Meredith smiles. Courtney is a genius. "Courtney, you're a genius. IM buying you all the ice cream you want."

Courtney laughs. "Well it is a good thing that I am hungry. Come on lets go."

The two girls laugh and walk out of the hospital together and go get ice cream. Meredith is relieved to have a break from her roommates.

Meredith walks into her house and sees Izzie, George, and Cristina eating pizza, drinking beers and watching a surgical tape. Meredith freezes. She hasn't had time to hide hers. She can only pray it's her mothers.

"Okay this is the best part, watch, this is where she pulls a block of skin down over her face." Meredith sighs. It's her mothers. She has her own tape of this surgery with her doing it, but doing this surgery she was in a different OR assisting with a Craniotomy.

George sees her first. "We were-".

Meredith sighs. She says, "Hi."

George responds with, "We were just- Cristina made us."

Cristina looks at Meredith. "How did you get these surgical tapes, of The Ellis Grey now less?" All three of them stare at Meredith.

Meredith sighs and begins her story. "Ellis and her daughter did a presentation at my school. There was some sort of competition afterwards. I talked to her daughter and she gave me some surgical tapes to watch, saying I'd make a great surgeon."

They all gape at her. Meredith rolls her eyes. They all try to speak but she shuts them down.

"Which one are we watching?" They all close their mouths and realize that's all they will get out of Meredith for now.

"This is the one where Doctor Grey literally pulls this guy's face off!" Izzie exclaims. They all stare at the screen in amazement and Meredith thinks she may have found some friends.

The phone rings and Meredith excuses herself.

"Hello?" Meredith asks, not even looking at the phone number.

"Meredith." Meredith sighs. Of course.

"Mother. How are you?" What a great way to ruin her night.

"I am fine. But on to more pressing matters. Did you forget already?" Huh?

"Forget what?"

"The conference next weekend in New York. The one where we are speaking and presenting about our research so far? The yearly East Coast Medical Conference that we have spoken at every year? I expected more from you Meredith. Although I support what you're doing I would have thought you'd have some responsibity and remember this."

Shit. Meredith had completely forgotten. This was an important conference her mother and her were speaking about their research on diabetes and all. And, for good or for bad, Meredith played a major role in this research. She had to be there.

"I'll be there Mother. I promise. I'll talk to the Chief immediately; he will let me go. I will be in New York next Saturday."

"Good. I except you'll be on time?" Punctual as usual.

"Of course Mom. Can you pick me up?" Meredith was so not in the mood to drop money on a rental car in New York City of all places.

"Yes. I will see you then. I assume you are adjusting well?" Meredith is shocked her mother asked a caring question, she usually doesn't.

"Of course. I do like the change, it different but good."

"Good. I would hope you are keeping up your surgical skills since you get less OR time?" Ah there's her mother, making sure she isn't falling behind.

"Yes mom. Skills lab and Richard arranged a surgery for me already. Simple one. I have scrubbed in on a Neuro case, General and a few others." She knows this will please her mother.

"I am glad to hear that. I must go. I will you on Saturday Meredith. Don't be late." Meredith bet she has a surgery, but won't voice her opinions.

"I wont. Goodbye Mom."

"Goodbye Meredith."

Meredith sighs. That was a good conversation by her standards. It went well. She smiles. Cristina looks over at her and says, "Who was that? Come back, we are getting to the good stuff here!"

Meredith laughs. "It was my mom and don't worry I'm coming!"

As Meredith walks over, she thinks that this new start was the right decision. She's more relaxed than ever. She gets to have fun for once.

And next Saturday, she gets to present her work, her baby, at a medical conference. Things couldn't be better.

But, good things don't last forever.


End file.
